A Very Old Man With Wings, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Essay example

In the story “A Very Old Man With Wings”, Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes about the
discovery of a big winged old man by a crab hunter named Pelayo. As the world became cloudy,
the appearance of a magical man with wings would scare, excite and bring hope to a
neighborhood for the foreseeable future. This man looked old and defeated, while Pelayo looked
at him with a confused expression, or a “mute stupor”. Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes the old
man as bald with fading hairs, almost toothless and huge buzzard wings. How can someone like
this exist, look the way he looks but possess such restraint and internal power? They tried
speaking to the angel but his response was incomprehensible with a strong voice. In addition to
this discovery, Pelayo’s wife Elisenda was tending to a sick child. In “A Very Old Man With
Wings” Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses themes of magic, sinful characters, and questions of faith
to reflect society’s struggle with belief in religion.

One of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Tropes in this story is the magic the old man might
possess. As villagers learn of the old man and his unorthodox appearance, they become curious
and scared. A wise old woman according to the village labels him “an angel” and the villagers
begin to treat him like a circus show, similarly to a woman that had been changed to a spider by
lightning because of a curse. The villagers responded well to the spider-woman because she was
less expensive to see and was willing to talk to the people. Meanwhile the angel would do his
best to stay down and keep quiet. After the arrival of the angel the child’s condition had
improved and provided the neighborhood with something to see and believe in. Could this be
magic? That was the question a...

... middle of paper ...

...rcia Marquez is a story reflecting real life.
Introducing themes of magic, sinful behavior and the public’s perception of the realism of
religion. The story began with the discovery of an old man who had the wings of an angel and
the public’s refusal to accept its reality. Furthermore the people were a reflection of the sins
committed by society and the ability for those same people to ask for forgiveness and favors
from a being they didn't even believe in at a recent time. Why didn't Gabriel Garcia Marquez
just say he was an angel from the beginning? Maybe he wanted to make a story that shows
his religious beliefs and how the people around him react to it. It is possible that
Gabriel Garcia Marquez directed this towards children to show them that if they have faith,
anything can happen and they will be safe and healthy.

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